Germs get 'under the skin' of vegetables

Germs get 'under the skin' of vegetables - 07/05/2008

Washing vegetables in water may not be enough to remove harmful bacteria such as E.Coli and salmonella, new research has revealed.

Scientists have found that dangerous bacteria, which could be picked up during transit or while in storage at home, are capable of burrowing into the leaves of fruit and vegetables as well as sticking to them.

Researcher Dr Brendan Niemira of the US Agricultural Research service claimed that "whether they're inside a leaf or inside a biofilm - they're [germs] not going to be as easy to kill".

But he also emphasised the importance of keeping germs to a minimum, such as through a thorough regime of domestic cleaning or contract cleaning services.

Mr Niemira added: "If the pathogens don't reproduce effectively within these protected spaces and stay below minimally infective population sizes, then the risk they pose to consumers is less."

Meanwhile recent research found that keyboards should be part of regular office cleaning because they harbour harmful food poisoning bacteria.